The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry

Nuclear industry front groups exposed

Nuclear Industry Front Groups – Nuclear Matters And Center For Climate And Energy Solutions – Urged To Come Clean On FundingCNBC, WASHINGTON, April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Two organizations that inexplicably are getting a pass from most news media outlets in the United States – Nuclear Matters and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) – are, in fact, de facto nuclear industry front groups that have failed entirely to be transparent about their financing, according to the independent watchdog group the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS).

NIRS, which relies on donations for its operations and has a total budget smaller than the salary paid to the CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, is objecting to the fact that in a recent barrage of news releases, op-eds, full-page New York Times ads, and its Web site, the group “Nuclear Matters” nowhere reveals that its primary or currently sole source of funding is Exelon, which maintains the largest U.S. nuclear fleet: 23 reactors at locations in Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Nuclear Matters is represented by Sloane & Company PR, the same firm that works for Exelon itself. Sloane PR has indicated that Exelon is not just “among the funders” of Nuclear Matters. It is currently the primary funder of the front group and funds from other interests are now being sought, according to Sloane. Nowhere is this information being disclosed by Exelon or Nuclear Matters to the public … and there is little evidence that is being demanded and then reported on by the news media. Additionally, no information has been provided to date about the fees and/or other considerations being paid by Exelon’s front group to a growing list of former public officials, including Carol M. Browner, Bill Daley, Spencer Abraham, Evan Bayh, and Judd Gregg.

Also failing to be transparent about its funding is The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, which is holding a National Press Club briefing today on nuclear power and “climate solutions.” However, the news advisory for the C2ES event (featuring Nuclear Matter’s Carol M. Browner) nowhere discloses that the organization is bankrolled in large part by utilities with nuclear reactors.

Two and a half years later, C2ES misleadingly refers to itself in the news advisory for its April 28th nuclear power briefing as “independent,” which would not appear at all to be accurate in the nuclear power context. Making matters worse, the promotional material for the news event (as noted above) completely omits any reference to C2ES’s heavy reliance on nuclear industry funding and the industry’s active involvement in the “leadership” of the Center

NIRS Executive Director Tim Judson said: “Exelon is spearheading an aggressive, multi-front campaign today to rewrite the rules of the energy marketplace to protect the nuclear power industry, which is dying in the face of a number of factors, including safety concerns, out-of-control costs, and cheap renewable energy alternatives. Exelon, Entergy and the rest of the industry have every right to make their case. All we are asking them to do is to come clean about the funding of their front groups. Enlisting formerly high visibility government officials to act as shills for nuclear power is completely acceptable as long as the industry does not try to hide the ball about where the money is coming from.”

In addition to calling for more transparency, Judson emphasized that any notion that C2ES is a major environmental group that suddenly is “coming out for nuclear” is completely mistaken. There is a long track record that shows that the Center and its predecessor (Pew) have long defended and even openly touted nuclear power:………

ABOUT NIRS

2013 marked the 35th anniversary of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, which was founded to be the national information and networking center for citizens and environmental activists concerned about nuclear power, radioactive waste, radiation and sustainable energy issues. For more information, go to http://www.nirs.org. http://www.cnbc.com/id/101619421

1.This Month

EVENTS

August 5 – California– two hearings in San Luis Obispo to take public comments on issues that should be covered in
an environmental impact study on the license renewal project for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Station

HIROSHIMA and NAGASAKI ANNIVERSARIES

USA: Hiroshima Day Events Hiroshima Day events around the country. Check to see if there’s one in your area!

August 2, 2015 Sacramento, California August Peace EventPSR/Sacramento is again co-sponsoring the annual August Peace Event, which this year commemorates the 70th anniversary of the atom bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.August 5, 2015

Santa Monica, California Never Again – Hiroshima 70th Anniversary Vigil Please join PSR-Los Angeles on August 5th to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki, help build awareness of the nuclear threat, and grow the movement for a safer, healthier, nuclear weapons free world.

August 6, 2015Kansas City, Missouri Hiroshima-Nagasaki: Seventy Years Beyond the Bombings In memory of the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Kansas City and PeaceWorks KC are hosting an exhibit at Miller Nichols Library.

August 6, 2015 Livermore, California 70 Years of Nuclear Weapons – At What Cost? San Francisco Bay Area PSR will join with a broad coalition of organizations to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

August 6, 2015 Seattle, Washington From Hiroshima to Hope Gather at Green Lake in Seattle for the annual lantern floating ceremony honoring victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all victims of war.

August 9 Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHiroshima Day Memorial Co-sponsored by PSR Harrisburg/Hershey and featuring speaker Dr. John Reuwer on “Nuclear weapons then and now.”

PETITIONS

in Part 2 we have Jon Doe, a great Guest from Tokyo who graphically describes life in Japan. He begins with his experience and thoughts on the Great Japan earthquake that caused 3 nuclear reactors to have varying degrees of meltdowns and contamination of large areas in Japan. Contaminated Water, No Sex For Prime Minister Abe supporters campaign, Update report on Megumi Igarashi, (aka Rokudenashiko) who is a woman rights activist and erotic artist living in a country where women are treated lesser than men. Jon Doe also discusses the problems of the teenage sex trade in Japan.

We also discuss the situation in Okinawa and the clampdown on freedom of speech and the denial of the democratic process by the Tokyo government to quash dissent. We discuss media coverage of Fukushima.